On Monday, Washington’s City Council is expected to accept a $200,000 grant to help pay for building public restrooms and a dock master’s station at the west end of the Stewart Parkway promenade.
The council also is expected to allocate $300,000 for the project. In addition to the $200,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, a $50,000 grant from the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and $50,000 from the city will help pay for the project.
As for the $300,000, most of it — $245,000 — will go toward construction, $40,000 toward planning and design and $15,000 for contingency.
A design concept for public restrooms and a dock master’s facility at the west end of the waterfront promenade was developed for the purpose of seeking grants to pay for the building that would house the restrooms and dock master’s facility. The design of that building attempts to replicate the former Pamlico Point Lighthouse.
The public bathrooms, as well as showers for boaters and laundry facilities for boaters, would be on the ground floor of the structure. The dock master’s station would be on the second floor of the structure, according to a presentation made to the council in June.
The council’s agenda shows that Roger Walden with Clarion Associates is scheduled to formally present the draft of the updated comprehensive plan to the council. Clarion Associates worked through the Planning Board to obtain public input for the revision of the plan.
The draft plan — “Pride in the Past, Faith in the Future” — lists three initiatives that should be pursued first. They are: supporting efforts to promote the downtown/waterfront areas; actions that are feasible, inexpensive and relatively easy to complete quickly; new opportunities to implement and pursue medium- and long-range ideas.
The 2030 plan was prepared to “articulate a vision for the community’s future and a road map for how to achieve that future,” reads the draft plan’s preface. The draft plan is organized around five major themes — downtown and the waterfront, economic development, community appearance, historic preservation and tourism, including eco-tourism.
During a board meeting last summer, board members said they want an updated plan that’s actionable, not one that will sit on a shelf gathering dust because there’s no money to make it happen.
A comprehensive plan outlines what kinds of development are desired in the city and where those types of developments should occur. It also addresses the issue of preserving and protecting historical and cultural buildings, sites and landmarks in the city.
City officials use the comprehensive plan when reviewing requests for land to be rezoned to see if the requested rezoning would be in compliance with the comprehensive plan.
The Washington City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building, 102 E. Second St. To view the council’s agenda for a specific meeting, visit the city’s website at www.washingtonnc.gov, click “Government” then “City Council” heading, then click “Meeting Agendas” on the menu to the right. Then click on the date for the appropriate agenda.